DIRECTOR SIDNEY LUMET DEAD AT 86

Sidney Lumet, whose career as a director began during the Golden Age of Television sixty years ago and continued into the 21st century, died in New York today (Saturday) at the age of 86. In 1951 he landed his first job as a director at CBS on the live weekly drama Casey, Crime Photographer, starring Darren McGavin, and went on to direct episodes of some of television’s classic anthology series, including Studio One, Playhouse 90, Kraft Theater, The United States Steel Hour, The Alcoa Hour, Goodyear Playhouse, and Halmark Hall of Fame. He made his debut as a movie director in 1957 with 12 Angry Men, a nearly word-for-word film adaptation of the play he had previously directed on television. He became one of the most prolific and respected directors in the business — although he preferred working in New York, not Hollywood. His films included such classics as Long Day’s Journey into Night, The Pawnbroker, Fail-Safe, Serpico, Murder on the Orient Express, Dog Day Afternoon, Equus, The Wiz, Prince of the City, The Verdict, Network, and most recently (2007) Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. He was nominated four times for an Oscar but never won. In 2005, he was honored with the movie Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

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